


The Magic of Cultivation

by Jaywalker_Holmes, Treef



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 魔道祖师 | Módào Zǔshī (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Crossover, Family Feels, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, M/M, POV Multiple, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21916309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaywalker_Holmes/pseuds/Jaywalker_Holmes, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Treef/pseuds/Treef
Summary: WangXian at Hogwarts?Main characters of both tales mixing with each other?Is it a recipe for disaster or is it an epic adventure?
Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Comments: 28
Kudos: 144





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Other tags, characters, and relationships might be added as the story progress.
> 
> This will be our side-project until we'll finish The Sun King which means for a good while XD

The train to Hogwarts was, as always, full of noise, cheerful chatter and smell of sweet (and not only) treats. Swallowing the last bite of his home-made snack (Jiang YanLi _was_ the best sister in the world, and the best cook, too), Wei WuXian threw a mischievous glance at his other sibling sitting next to him in the train compartment.

Jiang Cheng flinched and looked away from the window, his constant scowl even deeper than usual.

“What?” he asked, crossing his arms.

Wei WuXian made a pained expression and Jiang Cheng’s eyes flickered with worry, his shoulders tensing immediately.

_That’s not an intended outcome,_ Wei WuXian thought sourly before flashing his brother a wide smile.

“I was thinking, Chenqing and Zidian are so similar, maybe we should tie ribbons around their necks so it’ll be easy to recognize one from another? I take red for Chenqing! Zidian would look lovely in purple though.”

From the opposite seats where the cages were placed, their owls seemed to look at them with sharp disapproval. After a short stare contest, Chenqing simply turned his back at his ridiculous owner while Zidian flapped his wings, an angry sound escaping from his beak.

Nie HuaiSang who shared the compartment with them chuckled.

“I should thank the two of you again for being _proper_ when we visited my Brother’s workplace,” the skinny man said.

“We couldn’t risk ChiFeng-Zun not approving of us _this time_ _,_ ” Jiang Cheng sighed, ignoring his brother. “Mother would never stop nagging. She said once that he’s one of the best Aurors of the younger generation.”

Nie HuaiSang’s eyes sparkled. To get a compliment like this from the Violet Spider who was known to be one of the most _fierce_ Aurors alive (even without mentioning her irresponsibly-short temper) was not a small matter.

“I’m glad that Huan ge-ge was with us though,” Wei WuXian mused. “With him around, your brother seemed almost amiable, not at all a tyrant you were telling us about for years!”

“That’s probably because Huan ge-ge is not staying at our home so your experience differed from my daily struggle,” Nie HuaiSang retorted. “Believe me or not, Brother is the scariest person! This year I need to get my grades to be passable by _his_ standards or else...”

Wei WuXian patted his shoulder, “You’ll be fine! I’ll definitely help you!”

Nie HuaiSang looked at him miserably.

“Brother Wei,” he said. “You’re awfully cruel.”

That made Jiang Cheng laugh and brought Wei WuXian’s attention back to his brother. To be true, aside from their first ride toward Hogwarts when both of them were so terribly excited to finally go to school with their sister and planned an innumerous amount of pranks they could pull on their future roommates (well, it was mostly Wei WuXian sharing his plans and Jiang Cheng smirking), every other was somehow bittersweet.

“What?” Jiang Cheng asked again, attentive to a fault.

“Do you remember our first time going to Hogwarts?” Wei WuXian answered with a question of his own. “Before we boarded the train you hugged Madame Yu really tight under everyone’s eyes!”

“I was eleven,” Jiang Cheng scolded, blushing. “And she is my _Mother_. I _can_ hug her if I wish so!”

The other boys laughed.

“Yeah, but I thought that at least half of the other parents present were going to have a heart attack. She scared the crap out of them just by being there. No one expected her to come,” Wei WuXian said.

Jiang Cheng grumbled under his breath and irritatedly turned to look through the window.

Having his brother’s attention temporarily diverted, Wei WuXian let himself dwell on the experiences from that memorable first year.

They were both born late Autumn and so went to Hogwarts almost a year later than the ones celebrating their birthday before September. Not that Wei WuXian had any regrets, he deeply treasured all and every moment he managed to spend at home with Jiang Cheng (and Jiang YanLi but she started Hogwarts a few years prior to them and was rarely there aside from Holidays). As for their first year in school... Wei WuXian didn’t like to exaggerate when the matter was serious. He tended to brush it off even in his mind but he needed to admit, it was a literal _Hell_ during the first months when he and Jiang Cheng got assigned to different houses and were abruptly and unexpectedly torn away from each other. After their first Christmas break at home, Jiang FengMian wanted to take them both from Hogwarts and send them to some other school of magic but, ultimately, they stayed with only one single mindset ‘screw the customs’. They started to hang around each other without a care for what others would say and how inconvenient it truly was.

_T_ _here were many small, c_ _lever ways to s_ _pend more time together_ _,_ Wei WuXian’s smile turned sharp and angry before he controlled himself. They were starting their fifth year and doing pretty well but he could feel the thoughts that he had not wanted to think up now swarming at the periphery of his mind, threatening to swallow everything else.

_We could use a change of pace,_ he thought. _Jiang Cheng and I, too. He looks ready to snap at any moment._

A mischievous glint returned to his eyes and Wei WuXian got up, reaching for his suitcase. After a while of rummaging he took out his Slytherin robes.

“Is it not too early to change?” Jiang Cheng asked suspiciously.

“Don’t be a bore,” Wei WuXian complained, dressing up quickly.

To his small surprise, Jiang Cheng gave in easily and reached towards his own suitcase.

_Ah, this going to be great,_ Wei WuXian thought, fighting a grin that threatened to appear on his face and warn Jiang Cheng about his little ploy.

\---

Lan WangJi’s meditation was interrupted by an angry roar that shook the whole train wagon.

“Give my robes back, you...”

The rest was muffled and disappeared in the sound of the compartment door being thrown open.

“Hide me! Tell him I’m not here,” whispered a boy around Lan WangJi’s age, giggling. He closed the door behind him and hurriedly tucked himself into a corner, bringing his knees to his chest. With his free arm, he put a finger to his smiling lips.

Lan WangJi frowned at him. Guessing from his robes he was a Slytherin but, cradled to his chest, were Gryffindor robes and a black hoodie.

Lan WangJi hadn't had to wait long for the owner of those to appear. The door to his compartment slid open again and his eyes were inevitably drawn to a purple, muggle t-shirt featuring a doodle of a very angry (and toothed?) lotus flower with a description of “Don’t stare! I woke up like this”.

Lan WangJi blinked. He could swear that the flower snapped its jaws at him?!

In return, the fuming boy studied for a moment Lan WangJi’s face that remained impassive despite his fashion-related shock, before, without needing to ask (not that Lan WangJi was going to keep the intruder a secret), he turned to the Slytherin boy and extended his hand in a demanding gesture.

“Give. That. Back,” he gritted out.

The Slytherin boy stuck out a tongue but when it failed to draw any reaction from the other, he pouted.

The Gryffindor, he probably was one, Lan WangJi thought, decided to pry his robes from the thief with his own hands. Actually, they hadn’t struggled and the clothes were quickly back with their owner. The boy straightened up, gave Lan WangJi a sharp nod and left the compartment, loudly closing the door behind him.

The Slytherin boy’s pout turned into a smirk, then a grin, then a laugh. Lan WangJi looked at him unable to pinpoint his feelings about the situation. That made him feel a little petulant and cold words flew out of his mouth before he could bite his tongue.

“Is that what the rivalry between houses is like?”

The boy’s laughter died down and he blinked with surprise. While remaining stretched out comfortably in the corner across Lan WangJi, he looked rather uncomprehending before a flash of understanding crossed his face and he laughed again.

“No, no, no! That’s a siblings’ rivalry at best!”

That surprised Lan WangJi. It was not unheard of for siblings to be appointed into different houses of Hogwarts (he memorized the History of Hogwarts and some other books on the topic before coming here) but it was also not a common thing to happen. Unexpectedly, he felt a dread creeping up his spine. Will it affect his relationship with his brother if he won’t be admitted to the Ravenclaw? The two brothers he met didn’t look like they were getting along well and he wasn’t sure whether them being in different houses was an effect or cause of that...

Before Lan WangJi could disgrace himself by asking some improper question, the Gryffindor boy returned to the compartment with a curt “Excuse me.” He sat down next to his brother, arms crossed over his chest and closed his eyes. He had his robes on with a tie tied neatly but radiated a hostile aura.

Despite that, the other boy threw an arm around his shoulders and it was not shaken off but accepted naturally. Lan WangJi could read that much from their body language.

_Tuns out that they’re not on so bad terms,_ he sighed inwardly with relief but soon tensed up again.

Contrary to what he thought at first, the two were actually pretty ostentatious with how _close_ they were as if challenging him to comment. Lan WangJi couldn’t understand why to act like this and his natural response was to disapprove. Unfortunately for himself, he was too well-mannered to tell them to leave, especially when the more cheerful one began to chatter incessantly.

Lan WangJi found himself listening and even relaxed slightly under the constant downpour of words. It successfully alleviated his nervousness at being a transfer student, alone and in an unfamiliar environment. Not that he was not used to being alone but changing schools in the middle of the education process could throw off of balance even someone as stoic as Lan WangJi.

“We need to get to work,” the Gryffindor boy announced finally in a flat tone, interrupting his brother in the middle of another rant. Without waiting for an answer, he got up and started to haul him out of the compartment.

“Ah, but I wanted to speak with him some more!” The Slytherin boy whined at his sibling. “Right, what is your name?” He turned to Lan WangJi, his smile open and warm. “I’ll make sure to find you in school, alright?

“Don’t bother,” the Gryffindor murmured.

Lan WangJi wasn’t sure whether it was meant as “Don’t bother him” or “Don’t bother with him.” For some reason he felt a little indignant, refusing to acknowledge the two in a rare fit of anger.

“Ridiculous,” he murmured to himself.

“Hey! Who is ridiculous?! Why are you ignoring me?! Fine, I’m Wei WuXian! If you don’t let me find you, you need to find me,” the Slytherin boy exclaimed before bursting into laughter. He was then decisively dragged out and the doors shut behind them with a definite sound.

Wei WuXian? Lan WangJi frowned. _This_ was Wei WuXian?

\---

A young, smiling professor greeted Lan WangJi as he alighted from the train.

“You must be Lan WangJi – am I pronouncing it right?” he said and held out his hand. “I am Neville Longbottom, your Herbology professor. Did you have a good journey?”

Lan WangJi hesitated. Was it a good journey, considering the Slytherin boy who barged into his cabin and chattered non-stop until his Gryffindor brother decided to drag him away by the ear? Strangely enough, though, Lan WangJi couldn’t bring himself to dislike the boy.

“Mmm,” he said.

Professor Longbottom’s eyes were kind as he regarded the transfer student. No wonder young XiChen worried about his little brother, he thought to himself.

“Well, then, Mr. Lan, welcome to Hogwarts, and I hope that you will enjoy your time with us,” Neville said.

“Thank you, Professor,” Lan WangJi replied, his stoic face impassive.

“Now, would you like to take a boat to the castle, or would you prefer a carriage? The first years are usually taken on boats – the first glimpse of the castle is quite dramatic, you know. Your peers would be on carriages, so if you prefer…”

A loud cry of “Professor!” interrupted him. The noise was followed by none other than Wei WuXian – the Slytherin boy who had invaded Lan WangJi’s solitude.

Professor Longbottom, Lan WangJi noticed, appeared to be quite fond of the noisy teenager. His smile was gentle and his eyes were soft as the boy bounded towards them.

“Welcome back, Mr. Wei,” Neville said.

“Thanks, Professor!” Wei WuXian replied with a wide grin. He winked at Lan WangJi. “Hi again, Beautiful-Person-Who-Refuses-To-Reveal-His-Name!”

Neville arched an eyebrow.

Wei WuXian giggled. “So this gorgeous guy and I met on the train and we spoke – well, I suppose you can say I spoke at him rather than with him – but he refused to tell me his name.”

“This is Lan WangJi. He has just transferred to Hogwarts from Beauxbatons,” Neville informed him.

Wei WuXian’s eyebrows rose so high that they disappeared into his messy hair. “Lan? No wonder you’re so pretty! You must be Huan ge-ge’s little brother, Lan Zhan!”

Lan WangJi frowned.

“Hey, come on, don’t frown like that, Lan Zhan! You’d be prettier than Huan ge-ge if you smiled, I bet!” He winked at Lan WangJi. “You can call me Wei Ying, since we’re going to be good friends!”

Lan WangJi wondered yet again if the boy only spoke in exclamations.

“Professor, are we taking Lan Zhan on a boat? We must! He must see the castle from the lake the first time! I’ll take him on a boat!”

Wei WuXian reached out to grab Lan WangJi’s sleeve, and Lan WangJi stepped back immediately, avoiding his touch. Wei WuXian’s face fell for an instant before he smiled again, and Lan WangJi felt a strange tug in his heart.

“Mr. Wei is right,” Professor Longbottom said. “You can go on a boat, Mr. Lan. Mr. Wei, don’t fall in this time.”

Wei WuXian pouted. “That wasn’t deliberate, Professor, and it has already been ages. I’m a Fifth Year Prefect now!”

Neville smiled. Wei WuXian was a bit of a troublemaker – all right, he was as bad as the Weasley twins back in their days – but he was as bright as he was mischievous, and he was always top of his class. Almost all the teachers had a soft spot for him. It was impossible to dislike the boy, really.

“Well, I fell in my first time as well,” Neville confessed.

Wei WuXian giggled. “No way! Really?”

Neville nodded, putting a finger to his lips. Wei WuXian made a zipping up gesture.

“Wei WuXian! What are you doing?” came a grumpy voice, and the Gryffindor boy from earlier appeared again. He was wearing a Prefect badge as well, Lan WangJi noticed.

“I’m going on a boat!” Wei WuXian declared happily.

“Like hell you are,” the other boy said, walking up to them. “Hello, Professor,” he greeted politely. “I’m sorry about my idiot brother.”

“That’s fine, Mr. Jiang,” Neville replied.

Professor Longbottom was rather easy-going, Lan WangJi thought.

“Come on, I kept a seat on the carriage for you,” the Gryffindor boy said, grabbing Wei WuXian’s arm.

“But I really am going on a boat with Lan Zhan! It’s his first time here and we have to show him the castle properly!” Wei WuXian protested.

The Gryffindor boy turned to Lan WangJi. “Ah, you must be Lan WangJi,” he said. “I am Jiang WanYin. I apologise for imposing on you earlier and if my brother offended you. He means well, usually.”

Wei WuXian pouted dramatically. “Professor, tell Jiang Cheng that I really am taking Lan Zhan on a boat!”

“He is,” Neville said calmly.

“With all due respect, Professor, he has barely recovered. If he falls into the lake again…” Jiang Cheng trailed off ominously.

“I won’t fall in! Besides, Lan Zhan will protect me!” Wei WuXian declared.

Jiang Cheng blinked. “Of course he won’t. He doesn’t even know you.”

“But I want to…” Wei WuXian whined.

Jiang Cheng sighed. “Professor, is there a bigger boat that could take the three of us?”

“I’m afraid not, Mr. Jiang.”

Jiang Cheng’s face hardened. “Then you’re not going, Wei WuXian. I’m not leaving you alone until you…”

Wei WuXian clapped his palm over Jiang Cheng’s mouth and whispered something in his ear that made the Gryffindor boy go pale.

Then he grabbed Lan WangJi’s hand and ran off, dragging the silent boy with him. Somehow, Lan WangJi found himself unwilling to break away until they were actually on a boat and moving across the black lake.

“Sorry about that, Lan Zhan,” Wei WuXian said cheerfully. “Jiang Cheng is rather overprotective.”

“Do not address me with such familiarity,” Lan WangJi told him, wrenching his hand away from the other boy. The loss of that warm hand gave him a strange feeling, though.

Wei WuXian smiled a smile that didn’t reach his expressive eyes…and Lan WangJi again felt a tug in his chest.

“All right,” Wei WuXian said meekly. “I’m sorry. It isn’t often I meet someone that hates me. I won’t bug you again once we reach the castle. But you really mustn’t miss the first sight.”

And he turned away before Lan WangJi could say anything…not that he would, anyway.

The two of them remained silent for a few minutes before a silver shape zipped through the air and coiled itself around Wei WuXian, resting its head on his shoulder.

Lan WangJi gaped at the silver dragon in shock. “That is…a Patronus,” he murmured.

Wei WuXian turned around and smiled brightly. “Yes, it’s Jiang Cheng’s. He’s magnificent, isn’t he?” he asked proudly.

Lan WangJi nodded silently. So, the young heir of YunmengJiang was actually a rather powerful wizard, he realised. It was probably only the prodigious Wei WuXian that outshone him. Lan XiChen had told him about some of the students at Hogwarts…and these two had been among them.

“Oh, look – there’s the castle!” Wei WuXian cried excitedly, and Lan WangJi followed his gaze.

It was a magnificent sight, indeed. Lan WangJi gazed at the castle for a long moment before looking away and glancing at the boy next to him.

Wei WuXian’s features shone with a pure joy that Lan WangJi had rarely seen in his life, and once again, he felt a strange sensation in his chest. Wondering if he was getting ill, Lan WangJi returned his eyes to the castle.

A loud splash caught his attention the very next moment. Wei WuXian was being dragged into the air by a giant squid!

Instantly, Lan WangJi’s wand was in his hand and his broom was under his feet as he leapt up in the air.

“Stupefy!” he said, his voice calm, but his heart racing.

The giant squid released Wei WuXian, who fell into the water as if in a trance.

Lan WangJi would have cursed if he could. He dove into the water and grabbed the other boy’s collar, bringing him unconscious boy back to the boat.

“Ennervate,” he muttered, after a quick drying spell on both their robes.

Wei WuXian’s eyes snapped open, glowing red for a moment before returning to their usual silver.

\---

Jiang Cheng felt his heart stop as he sensed danger from his Patronus. He never should have let Wei WuXian – his walking disaster of a brother – go on a boat; Lan WangJi’s first visit be damned. Ignoring the concerned faces of his friends, he jumped out of the moving carriage and flew to the lake at breakneck speed. It was not for nothing that Jiang Cheng was known to be the fastest Seeker in Gryffindor since Harry Potter.

He spotted Lan WangJi fishing Wei WuXian out of the lake and laying him gently on the boat – so the younger Lan brother wasn’t as cold and unfeeling as he showed himself to be, was it?

“Ennervate.” Lan WangJi cast the spell before Jiang Cheng could stop him.

Wei WuXian’s eyes glowed an eerie red for a moment. To his credit, Lan WangJi appeared unaffected by the sudden change.

“What happened?” Jiang Cheng demanded, swooping in and balancing himself on his broom next to the boat.

“I guess the giant squid still loves me,” Wei WuXian muttered as his teeth chattered, even though his robes were dry thanks to Lan WangJi’s quick drying spell.

“Infirmary,” Lan WangJi said laconically.

“I’m all right,” Wei WuXian grumbled.

“Like hell you are,” Jiang Cheng snapped. He fished a small vial from his pocket. “Here. Take this.”

Wei WuXian obediently drank the medicine and slumped over.

Jiang Cheng sighed. “I’ll take him to the infirmary. You’ll reach the castle if you follow the First Years’ boats.”

“Why don’t you act as Mr. Lan’s guide in your brother’s stead, Mr. Jiang?” came a steady voice as a dark-robed figure appeared in the air. “I’ll take Mr. Wei to the infirmary. It’s been a while since I met Poppy anyway.”

Jiang Cheng nearly gave himself a whiplash as he turned to look at the smiling man. Lan WangJi was surprised, too – for there was no one in the Wizarding World that wouldn’t recognise this famous face.

“Harry!” Jiang Cheng cried. “Why are you here?”

Harry Potter laughed softly. “That’s Professor Potter to you, young man – at least for a couple of months.”

Jiang Cheng’s eyes sparkled. “ _You_ are our new DADA professor?”

“Temporarily, as usual.” The famous hero glanced at Lan WangJi. “Hello again.”

Lan WangJi greeted him politely.

Professor Potter chuckled. “Impeccable manners, I see. Hermione will love you.”

Jiang Cheng’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? She’s here, too?”

Harry Potter grinned. “Yup. Transfiguration.”

\---

Depositing the unconscious Wei WuXian in the infirmary and doing his best to placate Poppy and convince her that the boy should stay exactly as he is until his brother will arrive, Harry Potter wondered about this particular Slytherin’s propensity for attracting troubles. During the course of almost a decade of their acquaintance, there were more than a few instances when he needed to carry the boy somewhere when he was unconscious or hurt... or stuck in weird places he couldn’t get back from by himself.

The first time they met, though, was the most memorable, albeit far from pleasant.

Harry Potter was said to be many things, only some of them being true, but a diplomat? That he was not. He hadn’t even know Chinese despite his cooperation with Yu ZiYuan during the most recent case. Back then they were both new in the department. He had finished his Auror course only a few months ago and she moved with her family to Great Britain as a part of international cooperation that was proposed shortly after the war. Why China was one of the first countries to accept the proposal and began to implement its provisions with devotion, Harry Potter didn’t know. He had also not known how the Ministry of Magic came up with the idea of sending him to China to conduct some important meetings. He was not a diplomat!

That being said, the morning of December 25th a few years ago found him aimlessly wandering the streets of a foreign city, engulfed in a soft murmur of a language he didn’t understand. Yu ZiYuan who came as his guide and translator let him slip for a time, stipulating only that he’ll be back before evening. Their meetings were to start in two days and Harry was quite nervous about the whole mess that could follow.

A sudden wave of magic and sound of an explosion snapped him out of his thoughts. He rushed towards it out of instinct, despite fearing that he won’t be able to help much. He was a wizard in a foreign country, even as an Auror he had no jurisdiction here... But he couldn’t just ignore whatever happened and do nothing. The subsequent explosion of magic made him rethink his possible choices and also feel nauseous. Something was wrong, especially with the second wave of power. It felt... broken.

Passing another block he saw flames and smoke emerging from a broken window on the fifth floor of a tall residential building. He looked frantically for the source of magic and there he was, a boy struggling to sit up from a circle of dented and cracked pavement. He bled from many wounds caused by shards of shattered glass.

Clearly in shock, the boy reached his arms up towards the burning apartment and called out softly. Harry Potter felt his stomach tying into a knot. If there were wizards living up there, they had clearly no time to put a barrier or apparate or else they wouldn’t throw their child out of the bloody window!! The boy repeated his call and Harry’s mind restarted. They were on a street full of muggles and the child lived through a fall from the fifth floor. Without a second thought, the most famous person in the Wizarding World forced his way through the gathering crowd, caught the child prying him from the hands of some kind passerby who tried to help and apparated from under everyone’s noses straight to Yu ZiYuan’s living room. As for what happened after, it was a mess indeed, although a different type than he expected when coming to China.

_H_ _oping_ _for_ _this year to be peaceful is probably too naive,_ Harry Potter thought with both worry and amusement as he strode towards the Great Hall.

\---

Jiang Cheng and Lan WangJi rode in awkward silence for some time. Finally, it was Jiang Cheng who spoke up first.

“Thank you for saving my brother,” he said quietly.

“Mmm.”

“I’ll have him write a proper thank-you note to you later.”

“No need.”

Jiang Cheng blinked. “Hmm? Oh, he won’t mind. He’s quite taken with you, for some reason.”

Only Lan XiChen would have been able to spot Lan WangJi’s embarrassed pleasure from his seemingly impassive face.

“If that bloody squid attacks him one more time, I swear I’m going to roast it and have it served for dinner in the Great Hall,” Jiang Cheng murmured, almost to himself. “It’s strange, though. Dark creatures usually leave him alone when he’s in a good mood…and I sent my Patronus which always cheers him up…”

Lan WangJi looked away guiltily. Could it be that Wei WuXian was actually upset at his perceived rejection? That strange feeling returned again.

This time, Jiang Cheng noticed Lan WangJi’s uncomfortable expression. He narrowed his eyes at the new boy.

“What happened? Did you say something to upset him?” he demanded.

“Not sure,” Lan WangJi replied.

Jiang Cheng grabbed his collar. “Listen carefully,” he hissed. “No one gets to hurt my brother. _No one._ So, if you can’t be proper friends with him, you’d better stay far away and leave him alone in peace. Got that?”

Lan WangJi blinked slowly, confused. What was with this overprotective reaction?! He remembered that Lan XiChen _had_ told him that the Jiang siblings were extraordinarily protective of Wei WuXian, but…

Jiang Cheng released him abruptly. “I’ll let you go this once because you saved him.” Purple electricity crackled around him. “There had better not be a next time.”

Lan WangJi didn’t reply, nor did he appear affected by Jiang Cheng’s anger. Instead, he asked softly, “What is wrong with Wei Ying?”

The informal address slipped past his lips without his notice…and Lan WangJi realised it only after he’d said it.

Jiang Cheng’s eyes widened in shock. “He…he asked you to call him by his birth name?”

“Mmm.”

Jiang Cheng sighed and buried his face in his hands. “This is going to be difficult,” he grumbled. “Of all the people in the world…”

Lan WangJi stared at him impassively. He didn’t understand. Given how carefree Wei WuXian appeared to be, he had assumed pretty much everyone called him by his birth name. From Jiang Cheng’s reaction, however, it was probably not the case.

Jiang Cheng sighed again and looked up. “We’re almost there. I’ll find you and explain later. If you see my brother before I get to speak with you – please, for heaven’s sake, be nice to him. It is a very rare privilege to be permitted to use his birth name. He must be more enamoured of you than I thought. Be friends with him if you can, please? He’s a good guy, really. He’s not really the flibbertigibbet he seems to be. He feels…he _cares_ …very deeply.”

Lan WangJi could only nod.

Soon after, they reached the shore and Jiang Cheng took him to the Headmistress, Professor McGonagall. Lan WangJi had heard of her, naturally, but this was the first time he’d met her. Her strict appearance was impressive.

“Good evening, Professor, this is Lan WangJi,” Jiang Cheng said impatiently. “Is my brother back?”

The Headmistress nodded and Jiang Cheng bounded off.

“Welcome, Mr. Lan,” she said kindly. “I hope you will enjoy Hogwarts at least as much as your brother did.”

“Mmm.”

“We do not have transfer students very often. I asked professor Granger to give you some advice first so you'll be more at ease when joining your new house tonight. She'll be here in a minute. We will sort the First Years first then proceed with you, unless you object,” she said.

Lan WangJi nodded.

"Hello, Mr. Lan." A woman in professor robes approached them with a smile. "You'll be in my care for the time being."

"Thank you, Professor."

“All right, then,” Professor McGonagall said. “I'm leaving the rest to you, Professor Granger.”

"Yes, Headmistress."

The stern woman nodded, leaving Lan WangJi with Hermione Granger.

As it turned out, Lan WangJi had already learned everything Professor Granger wanted him to take notice of. As the First Years were sorted out to different houses, the two of them talked briefly about Hogwarts before the topic moved naturally to Transfiguration. The Professor's eyes seemed to sparkle and Lan WangJi found himself looking forward to Transfiguration classes this year.

"It's time for us to go, Mr. Lan," Hermione Granger said with a small sigh.

"Mmm."

She led him through the Great Hall – which was every bit as impressive as Lan WangJi had expected from his readings and his brother’s tales. Curious glances were directed at him, and he spotted Wei WuXian at the Slytherin table waving cheerfully at him.

The surprise and unexpected relief at seeing the boy there and in high spirits almost made him trip over his own feet. Remembering Jiang Cheng’s warnings and feeling a little strange, Lan WangJi nodded at Wei WuXian, and lifted a corner of his lips.

To his shock and secret delight, Wei WuXian immediately turned bright red. Lan WangJi felt his own ears burn in response and felt thankful for his long hair.

Professor Granger led him to the front, where an old hat lay on a stool. She instructed him to sit down and put the hat on his head.

Lan WangJi did so.

_Curious, very curious,_ a small voice said in his head. _You can go to any of the houses. Goodness, so much talent! Just like that brother of yours. Now, where shall I put you?_

Lan WangJi thought of a bright smile and sparkling silver eyes. Then the disapproving faces of his family’s elders appeared in his mind.

_Ah, I see your dilemma, young Lan. Remember that your friends could be anywhere; it is up to you to maintain your relationship. Perhaps you will do even better than your brother in RAVENCLAW!_

The last word was declared out loud, and the table next to Slytherin burst into applause.

“We got the younger Lan!” a girl declared, clapping wildly.

“Ooh, look – he’s as good looking as his brother!” Another cheered.

Lan WangJi walked to the Ravenclaw table and took a seat. Then he glanced at the Slytherin table and caught Wei WuXian’s glance.

The Slytherin boy mouthed ‘congratulations’ and gave him a thumbs-up sign.

\---

During the ceremony the previous evening, Wei WuXian sat properly at the Slytherin table and went to sleep to the dungeons but when the next morning came and people began to fill the Great Hall for breakfast, he traversed shamelessly to his brother’s side. He giggled seeing some new Professor wincing with disapproval. Any comments the man could have on the matter, though, were cut short by Harry who sat next to him. The Auror (and now their DADA Professor to everyone's delight) smiled before returning his attention to the meal.

Plopping on the free chair next to Jiang Cheng, Wei WuXian greeted everyone cheerfully. He had been a welcomed guest here since their third year, similar to how Slytherins welcomed Jiang Cheng out of habit. People were adaptable creatures and only the first year students eyed him in shock. From the urgent whispers, he could recognize that they were quickly and efficiently informed to mind their own business.

“Slept well without Jasmine?” Wei WuXian asked his brother with a smirk.

“Sure,” Jiang Cheng answered nonchalantly, not looking up from the toast he was spreading jam on. “She grew so big that I barely fit in my own bed. I miss when all of them were just puppies.”

He put the toast on his brother’s plate before reaching for the next one.

“You were much smaller then, too,” Wei WuXian said helpfully.

“Shut up, eat and go back to your table. I’ll see you on Potions soon.”

Wei WuXian decided to obey, at least when it came to the first two. For the next minute, maybe. He let his eyes wander and after spotting Lan WangJi at the Ravenclaw table, he waved at him enthusiastically and was, yet again, awarded with a small nod.

“We missed the two of you during Holidays,” said one of the sixth year students. “You never disappoint to brighten our day before the worst comes. We have Transfiguration first thing in the morning, that’s just cruel” she sighed.

Wei WuXian nodded seriously as if the Transfiguration was the worst thing on earth that could befall on the poor Gryffindors.

The next moment the air was filled with a sound of flapping wings as owls flew to the Great Hall. Wei WuXian briefly closed his eyes, taking a breath. He felt a hand placed on his shoulder, grounding him without a fail. He opened his eyes at the familiar screech, followed by a few sparse hoots from the side.

Chenqing and Zidian landed on the table in front of their respective owners.

“I’ve got a letter already!” Wei WuXian wondered out lout reaching for a small piece of folded paper. It turned out to be a note from Jiang YanLi, saying “I’ve learned how to make a squid stew! It’s delicious! Please await it on your next visit home.” The note was adorned with a drawing of the bowl with a single tentacle protruding above the edge.

“How did you even manage to let our sister know about yesterday so fast?!” Wei WuXian asked his brother in a hushed voice, exasperated.

He didn’t mind the great squid trying to _hug_ him every now and then, but it was heart-warming to know that his siblings had his back even against the great cephalopod. Although he had not indented to worry Jiang YanLi with his yesterday’s accident.

Jiang Cheng only shrugged, feeding Zidian some snacks that he always carried with him.

_He’s really good with animal_ _s,_ Wei WuXian thought not for the first time.

With a sigh, Jiang Cheng gave some treats to his brother’s owl, too and both birds departed to Owlery. Despite his previous words, he didn’t remind Wei WuXian to go back to his table as they ate breakfast.

“You told Lan WangJi to call you by your birth name,” he said quietly, noticing his brother’s gaze wandering to the Ravenclaw table.

“Oh? Yes, I guess I did. I’m calling him Lan Zhan, though, that’s only fair! And he’s very pretty!”

Jiang Cheng scowled and Wei WuXian threw an arm around his shoulders in a well-practised gesture.

“Don’t worry, you’re still my favourite brother, you’re not going to lose to him!”

“I’m your _only_ brother and I’m sure that Sister is your favourite _sibling_ ,” Jiang Cheng sighed.

Wei WuXian pouted exaggeratedly. As his attention was drawn back to Jiang Cheng, he didn’t notice Lan WangJi looking at him with a small frown of worry.

“Sister is just too great, I cannot help that!”

“Sister complex,” murmured someone from the side.

“Shut up!” the brothers exclaimed at once.

There was a wave of giggles at their table and when it died down, Jiang Cheng swatted at his brother’s head.

“And how the heck him being pretty has anything to do with calling you by your birth name?!”

“Don’t worry, you’re not bad looking either.”

“Wei WuXian!”

The called out boy laughed before his eyes were drawn back to the Ravenclaw table and the transfer student sitting there.

“I have no idea,” he admitted. “But it’s a lot of fun with him. I mean, he’s Huan ge-ge’s little brother we’ve heard so much about. And he’s nice in his own way, you said so yourself, he rescued me. And he really is pretty, don’t you agree?”

Jiang Cheng remembered about the ‘serious conversation’ that he needed to have with Lan WangJi and sighed. No, he didn’t think it’s fun at all. Yes, Lan WangJi was undoubtedly pretty. But Jiang Cheng was not going to admit it out loud anytime soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not dropped, just updating slowly <3

Lan WangJi let his eyes rest on the familiar shapes of characters that had been forming stroke after a stroke as he steadily moved the brush. He felt restless and a little lost but he felt that way during his first weeks in Beauxbatons as well. It wasn’t anything new or surprising, only a little inconvenient.

Also, he was aware that at least a third part of the people in Ravenclaw's common room was staring at him with various degrees of curiosity but decided to ignore them altogether.

Lan WangJi pursed his lips which made his indifferent face look colder. He should’ve decided to copy family rules, after all, and not poetry. It always worked the best to calm him down. Anyway, it was time to start his homework.

He cleaned the brush with a simple spell and gingerly put it aside with the rest of his calligraphy supplies. Before he could reach for his quill, though, there was a knock on the window that caught his attention. He looked up but upon seeing that the owl sitting on the windowsill was not his or his brother’s, Lan WangJi lost interest. He wondered whether to start with writing an essay on Charms or History of Magic. None of them were due anytime soon but Lan WangJi liked to have his work done as soon as possible.

Someone opened the window and a dark owl flew straight to Lan WangJi, dropping a note on his head before landing graciously on a pile of books on the table. Dumbfounded, Lan WangJi reached for the folded piece of paper.

“ _I’m waiting outside your common room!_ _Come fast fast fast fast!”_ said the note signed by Wei WuXian. There was also, _“PS. You can b_ _ring_ _your homework with you if you really want to!”_

Lan WangJi decided that no, he had not _really_ wanted to. Both essays could wait. Anyway, they were not due yet...

“Please wait a moment,” he said seriously to the owl, before cleaning the table and getting up. He took his books to the fifth years’ dormitory, returned with some snacks he had usually treated his or his brother’s owl to and offered it to the bird that brought him the note.

The owl looked him up and down before snatching the treat. It made Lan WangJi feel weirdly _acknowledged_.

Someone whistled.

“Wow, Chenqing didn’t reject your offerings, that’s rare,” commented one of fifth-year Ravenclaws.

“Its name is Chenqing?” Lan WangJi asked.

“I guess so? Or Zidian. These two are the most temperamental owls I’ve ever seen and they look alike, too. They’re quite famous in our year alongside their owners.”

The owl screeched irritably, flapping its wings.

“That’s exactly what I meant,” the boy pointed out.

A few others chuckled.

“Which one wrote to you?” another Ravenclaw asked Lan WangJi with a smile.

“Wei WuXian.”

“Then it’s Chenqing.”

Lan WangJi nodded and fed the owl another treat before telling it to go back to the owlery and leaving the room himself.

As the note said, Wei WuXian waited for him in front of the entrance, leaning on the corridor wall. He smiled brilliantly at Lan WangJi, uncrossing his arms and bouncing towards him without any hesitation.

“I’m sorry, you waited for me,” Lan WangJi said with some awkwardness but he also took a chance to observe Wei WuXian closely. He couldn’t help but worry after seeing him collapse the other day.

“No problem, Lan Zhan!” the boy laughed. “Come with me! I’ll show you something nice! How was your first day, hm?”

 _How was it?_ Lan WangJi wasn’t sure. He felt lost.

“It was fine,” he said, following Wei WuXian.

The Slytherin boy chuckled.

“Would you believe that it took Jiang Cheng and I more than half a year to find out this trick?” he asked.

“Trick?”

“Yeah! When you and your friends are in different houses, you need to be clever!”

“Mmm,” Lan WangJi nodded, thinking back to what the old hat had told him. “What exactly is this trick?”

“You can owl someone out!” Wei WuXian laughed. “And you’re not really obligated to spend all your free time in your house’s common room or the library!”

“Mmm,” Lan WangJi hesitated before calling out. “Wei Ying.”

Wei WuXian twirled around, facing him with a smile.

“What’s the matter, Lan Zhan?”

“Are you all right?”

Wei WuXian’s smile was still there but his eyes clouded and became unreadable.

“Back then, thank you for helping me out,” he said.

“That’s not what I...”

“I know.”

They stopped and stood opposite each other in awkward silence. Finally, Wei WuXian sighed. His smile dimmed but he looked straight at Lan WangJi with a sharp determination that seemed to pierce through the other’s heart. It was painful in an inexplicable way.

“Really, I haven’t expected the giant squid to act up, sorry for that,” Wei WuXian said. “It’s just, when I was small, I fell out of the window. Accidentally,” he added as if Lan WangJi was going to suspect anything else. “I’m kind of afraid of heights now and we were in the middle of the lake so Jiang Cheng gave me a potion that knocked me down for a time. It’s not a big deal though! I’m fine even with the astronomical tower! At least as long as no one is trying to throw me off of it, haha!”

Lan WangJi nodded, making a mental note to always position himself between Wei WuXian and any dangerous edges... and squids. At the same moment, he felt embarrassed at his own thoughts.

“Thank you for telling me,” he said sincerely.

“No problem, no problem Lan Zhan! But I haven’t expected you to ask. You’re so quiet and serious and I almost thought that you hate me!”

“I don’t...” Lan WangJi hesitated.

“Haha, you don’t need to treat what I say so seriously either. But we should go, Jiang Cheng will get antsy if we’ll make him wait for too long.”

Lan WangJi nodded as they resumed their walk. He hadn’t asked Wei WuXian where they were going and only listened to the other’s chatter. Similar to how it happened on the train, he found himself relaxing for the first time that day.

“We’re here!” Wei WuXian exclaimed cheerfully when they reached the left corridor on the seventh floor of the castle.

There was a ridiculous tapestry on the wall. If Lan WangJi’s eyes weren’t failing him, it depicted someone trying to teach ballet to trolls? If that was what Wei WuXian wanted to show him, he wasn’t sure whether he’ll be able to admit the view to be “nice” in any way... But there was no sight of Jiang WanYin anywhere nearby so Lan WangJi hoped sincerely that the “nice thing” to see was _not_ the tapestry. He heard Wei WuXian laugh.

“Lan Zhan, here.”

To Lan WangJi’s surprise, Wei WuXian held open a door that wasn’t there only a moment ago.

“I welcome you to the famous Room of Requirement,” the Slytherin boy said with a wide smile, inviting Lan WangJi in.

“You two certainly took your time,” Jiang WanYin snorted, seeing them enter the room.

A boy in Hufflepuff robes who was sitting opposite the Gryffindor got up hurriedly and smiled.

“Lan WangJi, it’s nice to meet you! I’m Nie HuaiSang.”

Lan WangJi nodded and looked around the room. Against the walls stood heavy bookshelves full of books and some random items. There was a training dummy in the room, four desks (one of them seemed to be a new addition) plus one low table in the middle of the room with a sofa and armchairs around it. Currently, there was a board of chess on the table and a few snacks.

“This is _our_ common room!” Wei WuXian explained, seeing Lan WangJi’s furrowed brows. “When I wanted to bring you here, Jiang Cheng was so nice to wish-out a new desk for you!” he added, patting the furniture.

Jiang WanYin winced, looking away.

“Thank you,” Lan WangJi said.

“If I haven’t done so he would give you his desk and then whine at me that he cannot do his homework because he has nowhere to do it.”

“Jiang Cheng!” Wei WuXian whined.

The Gryffindor gave Lan WangJi a look that seemed to say “We still need to talk”. Then, he ignored both his brother and their new guest, switching his focus back to the chessboard. Nie HuaiSang sat down, too, and Lan WangJi followed suit, choosing one of the armchairs. After a moment, Wei WuXian plopped down on the sofa next to his brother.

“It’s their fifth game today,” he whispered to Lan WangJi. “Jiang Cheng won only once and so he’s a little grumpy.”

“Sixth,” Jiang WanYin grumbled without looking up. “And I did win the previous one, too!”

Wei WuXian laughed, congratulating him and patting his back.

\---

“Wei WuXian.”

Being called, Wei WuXian looked up from the sketch-book he was scribbling in, surrounded by a bunch of still very enthusiastic but already very sleepy first year Slytherins. It wasn't even the curfew yet and, aside from the youngest ones, the people who filled the common room were still rather energetic.

“Kenneth?” he asked with a grin and a raised brow.

The boy standing in the door to the fifth years’ dormitory winced. “I think that your brother is _gently_ suggesting for you to bring your ass here and go to sleep.”

“ _Gently?_ ”

“I’m afraid his Patronus is going to bite off my head if I won’t drag you to bed so, please, would you do me a favour and concede? Now?”

Wei WuXian laughed heartily but some first years seemed a little scared.

“Can a Patronus do that?”

One of the older students smirked before answering. “If its Jiang WanYin’s, it definitely can.”

“Don’t worry don’t worry!” Wei WuXian interrupted, patting the scared girl’s shoulder. “It won’t bite anyone out of the blue. It has never bitten me and I unnerve my brother on a daily basis!”

“That no one can deny,” Kenneth murmured, sending his dorm-mate a glare.

Wei WuXian finally got up and happily wished everyone goodnight.

Seeing him disappear in the bedroom, someone rolled his eyes. “Jiang WanYin will be a great _mum,_ ” he said. “Albeit scary as hell.”

Some people laughed and some commented further.

“That’s a given considering who his mother is. I mean, the ‘scary’ part.”

“I want a cuddle-dragon, too!”

“Don’t you, girls, have Skye? She can cast a Patronus, right?”

“I can,” Skye said, entering the common room with her hands full of books. “But I guess there is a difference between an eastern dragon and salamander.”

“It’s very cute and huggable anyway!” a few girls from sixth years’ dormitory reassured her instantly.

In the bedroom, Wei WuXian sighed seeing that there was, indeed, a Patronus waiting not so patiently on his bed.

“It was a good day,” he murmured a little defensively, which made the dragon’s whiskers twitch. “Fine, you know better.”

 _I_ _f your brother sends you a dragon to cuddle, the best thing you can do is to go and cuddle it without questioning,_ Wei WuXian thought with humour. It was healthier than taking potions to fend off nightmares, anyway, and would bring less nagging onto his head.

Of course, Jiang Cheng hadn’t been sending the Patronus every night but often enough for it to become quite a gossip between Wei WuXian’s fellow Slytherins and a lot of them tried to learn the spell afterward. Well, most of what he and Jiang Cheng were doing the recent years sooner or later ended up gossiped about.

When Wei WuXian was getting ready to sleep, the Patronus flew up and waited for him to lie on the bed. Wei WuXian reached for his pillow and curled around it, wrapping himself in the quilt and the dragon coiled around him.

“Sleep well,” Kenneth murmured from the bed next to his. His voice was accompanied by a quiet rustle as he turned another page in a book.

“Yeah, you too,” Wei WuXian yawned.

Jiang Cheng’s Patronus’ habit of coiling around him, over the years, made him absolutely used to this weird sleeping posture and, actually, he could fell asleep almost as soon as the coils tightened around him. It was a great thing to snuggle to a dragon made of happy memories and a will to protect. It was a great thing to have siblings that cared for him and wished to spoil him. It was a shame, though, that he was always giving them reasons to worry.

\---

It was common for Wei WuXian to dream about his first year at Hogwarts, especially during a few days after every summer break. He found himself floating in the Great Hall and his gaze was inevitably drawn to his younger self standing with a bunch of excited children waiting for the old hat to sort them into one of the Four Houses. His eyes, too, sparkled with anticipation as he looked at Jiang Cheng who had already sat down and put the Sorting Hat on his head.

For the past year, the two of them analysed seriously and, after countless speculations, concluded with a conviction that they’ll both end up in Slytherin. Really, there was no other house that would fit them so well!

“Gryffindor!” the Sorting Hat screamed and Wei WuXian’s eyes lost their brilliance.

At the Hufflepuff table, Jiang YanLi covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes watering slightly.

The people at Gryffindor table applauded enthusiastically but turned a little hesitant after a while as the boy hadn’t made any move to join their company, remaining deadly still. It was hard to say whether he was frozen in shock or just being stubborn, maybe arguing with the old hat in his head. The line of his lips was very thin and his hands clasped at the edges of the stool, knuckles white.

Wei WuXian, standing amidst the First Years that were yet to be sorted, hesitated. Knowing his brother’s prideful nature, he was sure the other wouldn’t want to make a scene... Fortunately, before he could’ve done anything stupid to snap him out of his daze, Jiang Cheng slowly got up and took off the hat with slightly shaking hands. He didn’t look back at Wei WuXian when he went to the Gryffindor table, but from his steps and the tense line of his back, his anger and discomfort were obvious.

Wei WuXian, who was still aware that he was only dreaming his old memories, let his ethereal self fuse with his younger apparition. When his name was called out, he tried to add some spring to his steps, so that his brother who observed him from the Gryffindor table wouldn’t be worried unnecessarily. He failed, of course, as he barely managed to make his legs move and dragged himself towards the Sorting Hat. These were his memories, after all, and not a real dream (thanks to Jiang Cheng’s Patronus, they at least wouldn’t turn into a nightmare) but that meant if he failed the first time, and he did, he was going to fail every time when reliving it.

His hands were cold and clammy when he hopelessly reached for the Sorting Hat and it creaked out “Slytherin!” even before being properly placed on his head. Wei WuXian knew perfectly well why he was sorted there, it was inevitable. He felt weak in the knees but still managed to get up and walk, not wobble, to his new house’s table amidst moderate applause. He even shot a wide grin and waved at Jiang Cheng who looked scared and sad but more than that, extremely furious. He didn’t forget to smile at his sister, too.

\---

“Still working?”

Yu ZiYuan looked up from the stack of documents she was reviewing for at least seventh time and winced (smiled, she tried to smile) at her husband as he put a cup of steaming _something_ on her desk.

“This is?” she asked, fighting off an urge to wrinkle her nose.

The mixture smelled funny.

Instead of answering, Jiang FengMian lightly knocked on the desk with his fingertips. Not looking his wife in the eyes (he felt her glare anyway), he rested his gaze on the papers in her hands.

“After taking three-days leave from work, have you slept even for a moment my lady? If you’re still unsatisfied with the reports, I’ll help you re-analyse them. But you need to rest first.”

With these softly spoken words, he pushed the cup closer to Yu ZiYuan. The woman huffed in indignation, naturally ignoring most of what he had said.

“You’re trying to feed some suspicious potion to an Auror? Where have you even gotten it from?!”

“I brewed it.”

After a moment, Yu ZiYuan cleared her throat. She reached for the cup and slowly sipped the _still s_ _uspicious_ beverage. It was the closest to _“sorry for snapping at you again”_ she could get.

“I don’t like this new healer,” she admitted. “He lacks experience. Anyway, this potion of yours, is it going to knock me out on the spot?”

“It is not going to, of course. And you Flooed A-Xian’s previous healer, she told you the same the new one did.”

“And you know it only because you Flooed her yourself!”

The two concerned but refusing to admit it straight out parents simultaneously averted their gaze and looked at two opposite corners of the room.

“We should talk tomorrow?” Jiang FengMian opened again when the silence between them became uncomfortable. “Both of us still have one day off.”

Yu ZiYuan nodded slowly, narrowing her eyes. When the door closed after her husband and she heard his quiet footsteps disappearing in distance, she let out a sigh, put the cup back on the desk and massaged her temples.

Jiang FengMian was good at avoiding arguments but, despite her own stubbornness, she knew that trusting the healer or not, analysing the medical reports or not, the final word in this matter had been said already. The children wanted to go back to school to start a new year on time . If she or her husband forced Wei WuXian to stay, A-Cheng would have stayed with him and A-Li, too, wouldn’t start her own healer training. Despite being aware of that all, Yu ZiYuan felt a pang of old guilt that was festering in her heart, making her unable to just drop the matter.

She grabbed the cup and downed the rest of the potion in one go. They might have quarreled a lot but she had enough faith in her husband to know he wouldn’t make her drink something that would render her unable to, at least, reach her bedroom before falling asleep. With this in mind, she got up, briefly tidied her desk and stomped towards her rooms in the mansion.

The house was quiet and empty, unlike the Lotus Pier they had lived in before moving to Great Britain. The clan’s residence, being also a school by its thousands of years old rights, was always full of noise. And Yu ZiYuan, as the YunmengJiang heir’s wife, actually enjoyed teaching there. Now, even her own children were taught by others… Her frown unknowingly transformed into a wistful smile. These things were true during the school year but during every summer, she personally made sure that the children, this rascal Wei WuXian included, would be ahead enough of their peers for her to feel satisfied with their progress. Up until now, they have never disappointed her.

Yu ZiYuan quietly closed her bedroom door and, still in thought, began to prepare herself for bed. Not feeling any drastic effects of the potion she drank a few minutes ago, she took her time to undo her elaborate hairstyle and decided to take a quick shower. She could say that the slight laziness and relaxation she felt was an effect of Jiang FengMian’s potion, but her mind remained clear as her thoughts drifted back to the medical reports she was ruthlessly trying to find any fault in. After all, no more than two months ago, when Wei WuXian was lying unconscious in St. Mungo’s bed, wasn’t it the first time when her children both cried themselves to sleep clinging to her robes as the three of them accompanied him in a small, quiet room?

After that, near the end of summer, it was also the first time when she and Jiang FengMian agreed on something wholeheartedly without needing to discuss it beforehand to establish a common standpoint and advised Wei WuXian to recuperate at home for at least a few more weeks, preferable until the winter break. They were even willing to accept that A-Cheng and A-Li would stay with him. As parents, they couldn’t be said not to know their children at all … And considering ‘knowing their children’, it had not come as a surprise to them that Wei WuXian himself wasn’t willing to let his siblings miss on the school. After a few days of emotional back and forth that included asking opinions from both Wei WuXian’s current and former healers, Wei WuXian and A-Cheng went back to Hogwarts while A-Li resumed her after-school healer course. She had a natural talent and a lot of experience… Yu ZiYuan was sure her daughter would do well. A-Cheng and Wei WuXian’s situation, though, was a whole different matter.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, with her hair still wet after the shower, Yu ZiYuan played with a jade hairpin, one of many she received from her husband. This particular one, though, marked the beginning of their last big fight that took a place more than three years ago. She wondered, if not for the harsh words that were said back then, would the children be a little less stubborn and the outcome of this summer’s dilemma different?

Closing her eyes before lying down, Yu ZiYuan recalled bitterly.

As the years of their marriage passed by and after she took a chance to perform a small, legally-gray spell to make sure Wei WuXian wasn’t Jiang FengMian’s child before taking him back home, the pair tried to limit their clashes. Nevertheless, that time, their already strained patience just snapped and the whole thing turned ugly in a matter of seconds after Jiang FengMian proposed to transfer the children out of Hogwarts, so they won't be separated by different houses.

“Stop choosing this brat over your own son every single time!” Yu ZiYuan hissed, only inches away from reaching for her wand and just hexing Jiang FengMian.

No... She wouldn’t do that. Maybe she was more hurt than furious after all.

“Have you looked at your son then?” Jiang FengMian snapped back, probably for the first time as their quarrel’s history went. “Do you really think that’s only A-Xian I care about? That it’s only him who suffers?!”

Yu ZiYuan hesitated. _She thought exactly so?_

“What do you mean?” she asked sharply.

Before Jiang FengMian could reply, in the brief silence that arose after their angry voices fell, they heard a soft murmur of whispers from behind the closed door followed by hurried footsteps. For some reason, Yu ZiYuan felt a shiver creeping up her spine.

Jiang FengMian sighed and ran a hand through his long hair.

“Between A-Cheng and A-Xian,” he said quietly, despite being sure that the children had left already and won’t be able to hear him. “I really cannot tell which one is more hurt by the current situation.”

Later that night, Yu ZiYuan decided to have a talk with her children but their rooms were empty. After a while, she knocked on Wei WuXian’s door and opened them quietly. At first, she still wanted to have a talk with the three of them but then freeze in place.

Three children, four dogs around 60 kg each and one dog Patronus ( _when A-Li learned how to cast a_ _Patronus_ _,_ Yu ZiYuan wondered) cuddled on the small bed in silence with three owls perched on the headboard.

Yu ZiYuan felt unable to move as eleven pairs of eyes stared at her unblinkingly. She opened her mouth, closed them, then opened them and closed again before leaving the room without a word.

The next day, the three children told her and Jiang FengMian that all of them want to stay at Hogwarts. That they’ll figure it out.

Now, slowly falling asleep, Yu ZiYuan still wasn’t sure whether she felt proud or guilty but, whatever the feeling truly was, it squeezed painfully at her heart.

\---

As the days passed, the first week of school turned into a second and then a third one. Lan WangJi grew accustomed to a mix of the new and old routines.

In the morning, he would be the first one among his peers to rise and efficiently prepare himself for the day (this hadn’t changed since Beauxbatons or, to be more precise, his early childhood). Next, he would meditate on his bed until breakfast before silently accompanying his dorm-mates to the Great Hall. Only during the second week, he dared to admit to himself just how much he looked forward to this part of the morning as it was giving him a chance to leisurely observe still somehow sleep-muddled Wei WuXian who, more often than not, was fooling around at his brother’s side, both of them surrounded by cheerful Gryffindors or snickering Slytherins.

Of course, Lan WangJi remembered his clan’s rule about not speaking during meals but there was none prohibiting looking. And nodding, for Lan WangJi would always make sure to _answer_ other boy’s smiles that were thrown his way. There were a lot of smiles every time and Lan WangJi’s ears tended to feel hot throughout the whole meal. It didn’t bother him, not really.

After breakfast, they would go to classes and if Ravenclaws and Slytherins had a joint class, Wei WuXian would always snatch a seat next to him. Lan WangJi wasn’t unused to receiving attention, he was often in the center of it since childhood but not once had he any friends. It took him a while to get used to having someone by his side, especially someone so full of energy. He was a fast learner, though, and after a few more slip-ups during the first week, he rejected Wei WuXian’s gestures of closeness no more and the painful pull he felt at his heart every time the boy was hurt (especially by him) changed into a steady warmth when the Slytherin was happy. This kind of warmth… felt very addictive.

It persisted after the classes, too, for every other day they would meet in the Room of Requirement. Sometimes, Lan WangJi would take his homework with him and work on it with Wei WuXian perched on the side of his desk. Other times, he silently cheered on the Slytherin boy when the other played games or cast some simple spells on the training dummy with his brother and Nie HuaiSang.

Lan WangJi always liked to study, but he had felt that it would be better to do it in the clan’s residence, as when he was younger, before his mother took him to France. Now, he unexpectedly started to _love_ school…

A chuckle by his side and a gentle pat on the shoulder brought Lan WangJi back from his thoughts. The girl, one of the older Ravenclaws he remembered, quickly retracted her hand but her eyes shone with amusement.

"You’re making this kind of a face," she said and continued before Lan WangJi could even try to comprehend what kind of a face he was presumably making. “Are you looking for Wei WuXian? I’ve seen him outside the castle, playing with the First Years near the lake.”

Lan WangJi frowned slightly. Near the lake was not safe for someone being on the list of great squid’s _potential snacks_ , as Nie HuaiSang summed up Wei WuXian’s experiences with the cephalopod. He nodded at the girl to express his gratitude and swiftly left the castle. 

The weather was unexpectedly nice and many students decided to spend these early afternoon hours on the school’s common grounds. Even so, it wasn’t hard to locate Wei WuXian. As Lan WangJi neared the lake, he followed the enthusiastic cheers and laughter that were carried on the wind and soon spotted a tall figure in black and green robes, surrounded by a loose circle of clapping and yelling children.

The children quietened down and Wei WuXian resumed his opening stance with a slightly raised wand. Lan WangJi’s footsteps halted and his eyes widened in awe. For an outsider, the Slytherin just looked cool, as if in the middle of the wizard's duel. He _slashed_ with his wand, twirled around mimicking a dodge and imitated another fierce attack. With every move of his wand, red afterimages formed in the air before dissipating into smoke and disappearing - extremely beautiful.

Lan WangJi reminded himself to breathe. He was by no means a layman and from Wei WuXian’s fluent but fierce moves, in the red shadows of the Slytherin’s magic, he almost could distinguish a slender shape of a blade replacing the wand. Lan WangJi’s hand instinctively reached for his own wand, fingers slowly sliding down the polished wood, tracing cloud-shaped engravings. 

Almost hesitantly, as if he saw something he should’ve not seen, Lan WangJi approached the group.

“Lan Zhan!” Wei WuXian exclaimed, immediately breaking his stance and pouncing at the Ravenclaw. “For how long have you watched?” he chuckled and asked coyly. “Am I cool?”

“Mm, very cool,” Lan WangJi admitted sincerely. 

“Haha, Lan Zhan, you’re still treating everything I say so seriously! Let me show you some more, then!” Wei WuXian laughed, returning to the center of the circle formed by his spectators.

Lan WangJi stood to the side, steady and unmoving as stone. Only his gaze followed even the most minuscule of Wei WuXian’s movements. 

Having this serious of a spectator, Wei WuXian's moves and mood also changed slightly. Although he refrained from using YunmengJiang swordplay to show off in front of so many people, there was an underlying sense of danger hidden within his playfulness and his strikes became swifter and sharper. Paired with excellent footwork it awoke both awe and a rare sense of competitiveness in Lan WangJi.

On the other hand, the First Years who got caught between two powerful swordsmen emitting waves of fighting intent despite one performing a weird dance with a wand and the other remaining still and expressionless, felt cold chills running down their spines.

After a while, Wei WuXian stopped, twirled the wand with his fingers and after catching it properly yet again, tucked it away before bowing to his stunned audience with a wide grin. The children finally came to themselves and applauded loudly. 

"Now go, go," Wei WuXian waved them off as he swung his wand-arm around Lan WangJi's shoulder. His breathing was somehow ragged, the Ravenclaw realized with worry, although the other tried to hide his exhaustion.

When the children scattered, Lan WangJi looked at a little flushed side profile of the boy standing next to him and asked before he could stop himself. "Show me?"

For some reason, Wei WuXian's cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink. 

Lan WangJi frowned and wanted to retract his request but Wei WuXian's hand slid all the way from his shoulder and brushed briefly at his neck before cold fingers clasped at his wrist, rendering the Ravenclaw speechless and unable to think of anything more than Wei WuXian's fingertips against his skin and the pulse underneath it. The raging pulse, one could add.

Not encountering any resistance, Wei WuXian dragged the shocked still Lan WangJi all the way to the Room of Requirement. When they entered, though, the interior looked vastly different from what Lan WangJi was used to.

"Sorry," Wei WuXian said sheepishly, releasing Lan WangJi's wrist as if only now had he realized where his traitorous hand was all the time. He rubbed his nose.

"Jiang Cheng is better at it than me. As you can guess, the usual design is his doing."

Contemplating the scarily empty room, Lan WangJi wondered what this difference should be telling him about the two brothers' minds. Maybe nothing in particular, aside from the fact that Wei WuXian wished out this room in a hurry and there was no need to pay attention to things as trifle as furniture.

"I've never summoned my sword at Hogwarts outside training sessions with Jiang Cheng," Wei WuXian murmured, taking out his wand and bringing Lan WangJi's full attention back to himself. "This is actually more exciting than smuggling whiskey into Jiang Cheng's dormitory."

Lan WangJi's instinctual reaction was a disapproving frown and Wei WuXian laughed nervously.

"Pretend that you haven't heard it, would you?"

"Mmm."

"That's great!" 

Lan WangJi's eyes were locked on Wei WuXian's as they glowed red when the other unsealed his sword from the wand. 

Their wands weren't made by Ollivander, many people knew that much, but their origin and nature was one of many small secrets that they were prohibited from disclosing to outsiders. For them, who cultivated with both magic and swords, the blade was a manifestation of their will, formed from the sacred steel being a heart of their wands and linked to their owner by blood. Many European wizards were able to use someone's else wand, although results varied greatly and could be even disastrous. On the other hand, nobody could unseal the sword from a cultivator's wand aside from the closest family his or her heart trusted fully and, sometimes, a spouse. As the centuries passed, even in China, the knowledge of the other side of magic that was cultivation was slowly put in-between legends with only a few families holding the keys to this ancient art. The Lan clan from Gusu was one of them, so was the Jiang family from Yunmeng. Coincidentally, these were the ones who alongside Nie and Jin clans were the first to respond to the Great Britain wizards' call for close cooperation in the magic world. All four remaining cultivator clans send their heirs away from their homeland. 

"What's its name?" Lan WangJi asked, looking at the thin blade Wei WuXian nonchalantly unsheathed for him. He could feel it's unwavering spirit, quick and sharp but not ominous. 

"Whatever," Wei WuXian answered with easy confidence.

This time, Lan WangJi's frown was way more severe than after hearing of them smuggling alcohol into school. 

Before he could rebuke Wei WuXian, for this matter he could not leave unsaid out of fear of hurting the other, the Slytherin laughed heartily. "It really is Suibian, look," he showed him the words engraved on the scabbard. 

_Suibian_ , indeed.

Lan WangJi was speechless again.

Both confused and fascinated, he brushed his fingers on the side of the blade. There were engravings on it, too, the same that adorned its wand form. Lotuses in four stages of their life, linked to the cycle of nature which catalyzed the transformation. The cloud pattern on Lan WangJi's wand and sword served a similar purpose.

He heard a small gasp that snapped him out of his daze, his ears burning. He nervously looked up at Wei WuXian's bewildered expression.

What he did wasn't exactly a taboo but, all things considered, it was still a quite intimate gesture that he would never consider making if the sword belonged to anyone else than Wei WuXian.

Anyway, when he opened his mouth to apologize they were instantly blocked by Wei WuXian's hand.

"No no no Lan Zhan," the Slytherin said with a feeling, his mischievous grin back in place. "We don't know each other that long but I feel like I can guess what you were going to say. There is no need though!" He backed away a step and transformed Suibian back into a wand before continuing.

"Although I didn't actually plan to name it like this in the first place and it was an accident of sorts," Wei WuXian chuckled before his expression turned fake-indignant. "When I told Jiang Cheng that my sword is called Suibian he was by no means appreciative and instead hit my head! Can you imagine?! Your reaction was much nicer than his!"

"I…"

Lan WangJi wanted to guiltily confess that he, too, wanted to criticize Wei WuXian's choice in names but was yet again interrupted.

"Yes, you, your sword!" Wei WuXian exclaimed excitedly. "Next time, show me your sword! I bet it's as gorgeous as you!"

Carelessly dropping these words, Wei WuXian stormed out of the room, leaving behind a dumbstruck Lan WangJi who had no idea what exactly and why occurred between them. To be honest, Wei WuXian who ran down to the dungeons as if chased by fiendfyre had no idea either.

\---

"You! Did! What?!" Jiang Cheng's roar echoed in the tall chamber.

The figure of Salazar Slytherin towering over them seemed to look at him with disapproval.

"I showed him Suibian," Wei WuXian repeated without remorse, although the tingling in his ears gave him a proper idea about his brother's rage. "What's the problem with that? You're making it sound as if I was indecent in front of a maiden!"

Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth.

"Our blades," he opened in a quiet, dangerous voice. "Are not meant to be show off to just anyone. Suibian has a spiritual connection to your soul, it, technically, is a part of you!"

"How's Lan Zhan just anyone?" Wei WuXian wondered as if he had just heard a bad joke. "Besides, these are blades. They're meant to, precisely, exterminate monsters. If it's fine to cut through rotten flesh with a part of my soul then, of course, it's also fine to show the blade to Lan Zhan. If we were to ever night-hunt together, he would see it anyway." 

_Good thing I haven't told Jiang Chen I let Lan Zhan touch the blade, too,_ Wei WuXian thought and a faint blush crept up his cheeks. It was enough for Jiang Cheng to catch a deeper understanding of the situation.

"No way," the Gryffindor groaned, closing his eyes. He counted to ten and opened them, unfortunately to the sight of his brother still acting bashful. Decisively, he closed his eyes again.

After enough time for Jiang Cheng to count to at least one hundred, Wei WuXian decided to explain himself a little.

"It's not a big deal, seriously," he said. "You an I are sparring regularly and we're not doing so blindfolded. Does it mean we're indecent with each other?" 

"We're brothers!" Jiang Cheng growled from the depth of his chest without opening his eyes. "It's not indecent between family!"

Wei WuXian laughed and, in a rare show of self-preservation instinct, decided to shut up. 

For the next hour or so, they worked in a rare silence until Jiang Cheng couldn't stand it anymore.

"Fine, speak!" he commanded. "I can see it bubbling in you!"

"It's just that," Wei WuXian deliberately lowered his voice to a confidential whisper. "I really like Lan Zhan. Really, really like him!"

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. "No kidding," he mocked. "That much I've gathered already."

"Wow, Jiang Cheng you're so sharp!"

"Even a blind would realize you moron!" The Gryffindor shouted, bravely fighting off an overwhelming urge to throw something at his brother. Preferably, his cauldron. It seemed heavy enough to beat some sense into this thickheaded…

"If you'll throw your cauldron at me, you'll need to brew the potion all over again," Wei WuXian said reasonably.

His brother being reasonable made Jiang Cheng's flame of fury shot even higher! 

"A-Cheng, A-Xian, please don't fight," sounded a melodious voice from the self-writing quill hovering over a roll of parchment. There were three desks in the room and it was situated on the one once belonging to Jiang YanLi.

The Chamber of Secrets was the Jiang siblings' most secret hideout since Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng's second year at Hogwarts, to Harry's great dismay. The hero of the wizarding world decided to tell them about this place a year ago as he deemed them mature enough not to hurt themselves with some random experiment. He wasn't happy to realize that they were settled down and homey there for years!

Jiang Cheng snickered at the memory. It was true that dark creatures were drawn to Wei WuXian with varying intentions (as the boy himself insisted the great squid just wanted to make a new friend and not snack on him) ghosts, on the other hand, loved him dearly. Even Professor Binns' lecture would become somewhat lively when Wei WuXian was in class. Accordingly, there was no secret in Hogwarts that Wei WuXian, and the other two Jiang siblings by extension, hadn't known. Quite a few of them were being used efficiently and the Chamber of Secrets was their favorite place - spacious enough to spar, cultivate and experiment freely with both spells and potions. It was their exclusive hideout, even Nie HuaiSang had no idea where his two friends disappeared on a regular basis. 

"We weren't quarreling, A-Jie."

"A-Jie, how are you doing!"

The boys exclaimed simultaneously. The quill swiftly wrote down their words, one in purple ink and one in red. There was also a difference in the handwriting between the two.

The quill was a gift from Jiang YanLi after she graduated Hogwarts. Knowing how busy her brothers could get, she provided them with an option to easily send her reports from their work or some mindless chatter she could enjoy after a hard day. Of course, both of them stubbornly persisted in sending her letters on their own as well. Jiang YanLi happily returned the favor every time.

As for her voice that was heard a moment ago, it was a simple recording activated when the levels of turbulent magic in the room reached a certain level. Sometimes it created quite funny situations, especially before Jiang Cheng decided to permanently stuff the quill in the Chamber of Secrets.

"I wonder if Lan Zhan uses blue ink in his letters." Wei WuXian's voice was inexplicably dreamy for such a plain topic.

Jiang Cheng bowed his head and resolved to ignore his brother. 

_The talk I need to have with Lan WangJi… I shouldn't postpone it any longer,_ he thought. 

Jiang Cheng didn't like the Lan boy or to be precise, he despised the Lan clan as it was, especially after meeting Lan QiRen, the current acting head of the family, on an official banquet a few years ago and listening to his speech. Although Huan ge-ge, Lan XiChen, managed to escape his anger, Lan WangJi struck him as similar rather to his uncle than his brother. Hopefully, he was mistaken…

"What are you mumbling under his breath about?" Wei WuXian cut into his thoughts. "Have I heard Huan ge-ge's name?"

"Go back to work!" Jiang Cheng, whose potion was clearly left without his attention for too long and spoilt miserably, snapped at his brother. "Or we won't be able to finish it on time!"

With a chuckle full of some divine understanding Wei WuXian refocused his attention on the notes in front of him. 

Jiang Cheng was yet again tempted to drop the cauldron on his head!

\---

Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Fifth Years had combined Charms and Astronomy. While he had been anticipating this sooner or later, Lan WangJi was still slightly surprised that Jiang WanYin chose to sit next to him in class. The grumpy Gryffindor didn’t utter a single word during class (both the boys earned top points for their Houses). Professor Flitwick was so delighted with Lan WangJi that he nearly fell off his tower of books in excitement.

As soon as the class ended, however, Jiang Cheng turned to Lan WangJi and said in a low voice, “We need to talk.”

Lan WangJi nodded silently.

“Walk with me for the Astronomy Tower,” the heir of YunmengJiang said imperiously.

“Mmm.”

The boys quickly packed up and walked out of class together, disappearing before their classmates – or worse, Wei WuXian (if he somehow managed to get out of class early) – could catch up with them. Jiang Cheng led Lan WangJi to a secluded corner on top of the Astronomy Tower. They still had plenty of time before their next class, so Lan WangJi was not worried.

Jiang Cheng cast a _Muffliato_. Then he turned to face the Ravenclaw boy and demanded abruptly, “What are your intentions towards my brother?”

Lan WangJi blinked slowly, his face calm and indifferent. Only the tips of his ears were slightly red. “We are friends,” he said quietly.

An angry, disbelieving laugh left Jiang Cheng’s lips. “I thought you hated him on sight. Why are you leading him on?”

“I do not hate him,” Lan WangJi said immediately. He repeated firmly, “We are friends.”

“He doesn’t need sanctimonious bastards like you as friends,” Jiang Cheng hissed.

“My parents were duly married much before my brother and I were born,” Lan WangJi said calmly.

Jiang Cheng ignored him. “You will abandon him at the first sign of trouble,” he snapped. “I refuse to let my brother go through something like that again.”

Lan WangJi’s face hardened. “I will not abandon Wei Ying.”

“Oh?” Jiang Cheng sneered. “Even if he is the embodiment of everything antithetical to the oh-so-righteous Lan clan?”

“No matter what,” Lan WangJi insisted.

“Even if he is in love with you? Not the love of a friend, but that of a lover, a husband?” Jiang Cheng taunted.

Twin spots of colour appeared on Lan WangJi’s fair cheeks. “If Wei Ying loves me, I would be honoured to marry him when we come of age.”

Jiang Cheng’s jaw dropped. “You...you’re just as besotted with my brother as he is with you?!”

Lan WangJi nodded shyly.

Jiang Cheng sighed and rubbed his temples. “Has that idiot told you anything about his problems yet?”

Lan WangJi shook his head, a worried frown marring his brow. “What is wrong with Wei Ying? He said he is afraid of heights and flying, but nothing else.”

“That’s the least of his problems,” Jiang Cheng said. “What I’m about to tell you is classified information known to less than ten people in the world. You must make an oath not to reveal this to anyone.”

Lan WangJi made the oath promptly. “We could do an Unbreakable Oath if you prefer.”

Jiang Cheng shook his head, but his eyes softened. “The only people in Hogwarts at the moment who are in the know and could perform the ceremony are Harry and Hermione. Either of them would murder me for suggesting such a thing. Especially Hermione, because she’s the one that encouraged me to tell you this. My sister also supported the idea...probably because my brother has been gushing so much about you to her. A normal oath is good enough...and I added a small variation. If you try to reveal what I’m telling you, it’ll be wiped clear from your head immediately.”

Lan WangJi nodded. He had noticed the variation, but chose to remain silent. He knew that the Jiang siblings were extremely overprotective of their adopted brother, and Lan WangJi felt he could understand their concern and approve wholeheartedly. He had only known Wei Ying for a few weeks and he had never seen a bigger trouble magnet.

Jiang Cheng shook himself and asked quietly, “In addition to learning Western magic, GusuLan cultivates the way of the sword just like YunmengJiang, right?”

Lan WangJi nodded. “Wei Ying showed me his sword, _Suibian_. It is a good blade.”

“It is, except for that ridiculous name he gave it,” Jiang Cheng agreed with a smirk. Then his face turned serious. “My brother is one of the best swordsmen ever. He could probably even best you in a sword-fight. However...his golden core...it’s fractured.”

Lan WangJI turned white as a sheet. “How...?”

“We don’t know,” Jiang Cheng replied bitterly. “He was already like that when Harry found him and brought him to Mother.” He shook his head. “You have seen how dark creatures are attracted to him, haven’t you? That’s just the tip of the iceberg. He’s fine here at Hogwarts – because Western magic doesn’t really differentiate between light and dark magic itself – only the general functions or impact or purpose of the spells are used to categorise. You could use a light spell – say, the Jelly Legs curse to kill someone – but it’ll not be a dark spell because the intent of the caster is unimportant. Similarly, you could use the Imperius curse to save someone’s life, but it’s still an Unforgivable Curse.” He paused. “But it’s different for our traditional cultivation.”

Lan WangJi nodded. “It is the nature of the spiritual energy itself.”

“Right,” Jiang Cheng said. “No wonder you’re in Ravenclaw.”

Lan WangJi frowned. “If Wei Ying’s golden core is fractured...”

“...how does he cultivate?” Jiang Cheng completed his question. “His path is different from your or I. My brother is a demonic cultivator.”

Lan WangJi turned slightly green. While demonic cultivation was not as much of a taboo now as in ancient times, it was still looked down upon. But his family was very orthodox...they’d rather incinerate themselves than associate with a demonic cultivator.

“Having second thoughts?” Jiang Cheng sneered.

Lan WangJi’s golden eyes glittered with determination. “I will not abandon Wei Ying.”

“Good,” Jiang Cheng said. He rubbed his temples again. “It wouldn’t be as big a problem if he was simply a demonic cultivator. What’s worse is that he has both kinds of spiritual energy rampaging inside him, opposing each other. My parents, Harry and Hermione...they’ve all been looking for a solution for years. We’ve found nothing.” He sighed tiredly. “That’s why his health is so poor, despite him being so powerful. It’s still under control and more or less stable when he’s happy and carefree...but he’s also a very sensitive person. He tries to hold it in, but things affect him. We know some of his triggers, and we try to keep him as happy as possible in general, but...his internal demons are formidable and deeply rooted in his psyche. That’s why he can’t produce a Patronus...while my sister and I produced ours a long time ago. Probably stemmed from our desperate desire to protect that idiot brother of ours.” He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. “We need to find a solution...otherwise Wei WuXian’s lifespan would be less than even an ordinary humans', let alone wizards and immortals.”

“I will help,” Lan WangJi promised solemnly. “The GusuLan library...”

Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes menacingly and purple electricity crackled around him. “You cannot share this information with anyone. If you think you won’t be able to keep your mouth shut, or if you think this is too much for you to accept, I can _Obliviate_ you right now.”

Lan WangJi shook his head emphatically. “I will not abandon Wei Ying.”

Jiang Cheng smiled slightly. “You’ll love him? Cherish him? Protect him?”

With blushing cheeks but a determined gaze, Lan WangJi promised, “I will.”

“My brother is extraordinary....and precious,” Jiang Cheng said.

“I know,” Lan WangJi agreed promptly. “Wei Ying is very, very precious.”

“Good that you know that,” Jiang Cheng smirked. “If you hurt my brother...”

“I won’t,” Lan WangJi said seriously. “If I do, you are welcome to extract retribution.”

“Excellent,” Jiang Cheng said. “Brother-in-law approves, then. Also, I think it’s about time for us to go to class.” He waved his wand and the barrier around them dissipated. “Let’s go, loverboy.”

The two boys made their way to class, not knowing that when the barrier dispersed, a few students heard Jiang Cheng’s last words, saw Lan WangJi’s blushing cheeks and Jiang Cheng smirking like a cat that ate the canary – and drew a completely wrong conclusion. A few hours later, Wei WuXian would get to hear gossip about Jiang Cheng and Lan WangJi making out.


End file.
